'Tis the Season to be Jewish

A Cuppa Joe: A Cuppa Joy or A Cuppa Controversy?!

Starbucks, an unintentional player in this cultural battle, has recently issued its annual seasonal holiday cup design. This, in and of itself, should not herald any controversy. However, it probably should come as no surprise that the conservative right excoriated Starbucks in years past for serving coffee beverages in seasonal but plain red cups. The reason? They were noticeably devoid of any holiday image. According to CNN in 2015, Jeffrey Fields, vice president of Starbucks, said at the time that the company “wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.”Outraged by this corporate posture, conservative activists fueled a negative social media campaign against Starbucks. (The so-called “great plain red cup of fiasco of 2015.”)

Lest one think that the controversy might have fallen by the wayside in the wake of other more serious issues, the War on Christmas cups erupted again last year when Starbucks issued green cups “in the name of diversity.” These cups were again met with a howl by conservatives and a call by our Christmas War-focused President to boycott the company because it apparently doesn’t embrace Christmas like it once did.

This year the silliness continues. Starbucks has opted for white cups with outlines of holiday images. Customers can color in the designs to reflect their own aesthetic and traditions: “The holidays mean something different to everyone,” a Starbucks video explains. This season the cup is just the beginning. How you make it special is up to you.” Accompanying a hot beverage is a sleeve that simply states “Give Good.” (This denotes the theme of Starbucks’ holiday campaign.)

We applaud Starbucks for its intended inclusiveness! Who knew that a cuppa joe could generate such a cuppa controversy!